


night by night

by bazookajo94



Series: we were together [1]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Established Relationship, M/M, Summer Vacation, and the foxes meet a heavily scarred neil, andrew brings home a boy for the first time, gratuitous and in-depth descriptions of the author’s favorite board games, i pulled a star wars and posted the sequel first, major canon events vaguely resolved so i can get to the fluff faster
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:47:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25638289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bazookajo94/pseuds/bazookajo94
Summary: “Maybe he’s bringing a friend.”“That’s even more unbelievable, Aaron.”“I don’t know, Nicky, and I don’t know why you care.”Nicky sniffed. “I just feel like if we’re going to be spending a week with someone who Andrew has willingly invited, we should be prepared to meet a potential murderer or, like, a manic pixie dream girl.”“A what?”
Relationships: Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Series: we were together [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1858567
Comments: 35
Kudos: 1037





	night by night

**Author's Note:**

> hey remember when andrew’s family didn’t know he was gay or just like anything about him at all even though they’d been with him for years and then neil came along and after two seconds of knowing andrew he just…Saw Him For Who He Was. and remember when andrew loved neil so much and just loved him so much? do u remember when we cried? anyways it makes me sad to think about so i wrote this fic to make me more sad (and also happy)

The Foxes were planning one last fun week for the summer before they had to return for the new semester. The monsters had finally reached some sort of truce with the rest of the teammates ever since Andrew had returned from Easthaven after Spring Break, having been rehabilitating for two months. Upon his release, everyone had a fearful week where Andrew had been more volatile than when he was on his meds, but then one night he came back from wherever he disappeared to at night and he was just…blank. Calm.

Nicky claimed he was the same way he was before his meds, but even he admitted after two more weeks of blank Andrew that a part of his cousin seemed…settled. He wasn’t antagonizing fights, he was listening to Wymack, he was allowing people to speak to him (though he didn’t always speak back).

It was unsetting.

When summer break first started, the Foxes went their ways: the monsters to Columbia and the rest to their families, and Andrew disappeared. Gone for hours at a time, sometimes even full nights, Andrew would leave the Columbia house and return at odd times and stay for a few hours before leaving again. Another unsettling habit, but considering that in early April the Moriyamas suffered a coup and Kevin no longer needed his protection, Andrew had no reason to constantly stay at the house to watch everyone.

Though he had no reason to _leave_ , either.

All summer, the monsters saw Andrew maybe a total of fifteen hours, and then one day in late July Allison texted Nicky and suggested a meetup to discuss how they could all spend their final week of summer vacation as a team.

Surprisingly, Andrew went with them to the diner. He sat between Aaron and Kevin and stared at nothing all meal, offered no suggestions or grievances to the plans being made, didn’t say anything at all until Allison clarified, “So reservations for nine, right?” and Andrew, as if dragging his will to speak from the pits of hell, said, “Ten.”

*

Nicky hadn’t stopped talking about it since they returned from the diner and Andrew had disappeared again. “I just don’t understand! Who does Andrew know that isn’t us?”

“Who cares,” Aaron replied.

“Me! I care! I thought he had something with Renee?”

Aaron shrugged. “You think he’s been with Renee all summer?”

“No, but I don’t know anyone else who could tolerate him for so long. Does Andrew have, like, a girlfriend?”

“Maybe he’s bringing a friend.”

“That’s even more unbelievable, Aaron.”

“I don’t know, Nicky, and I don’t know why you care.”

Nicky sniffed. “I just feel like if we’re going to be spending a week with someone who Andrew has willingly invited, we should be prepared to meet a potential murderer or, like, a manic pixie dream girl.”

“A _what_?”

*

They had decided to go to a beach-side AirBNB.

“So here’s the plan” Nicky said. “Dan and Matt fly in from wherever they are. They meet Renee and Seth at the airport. They drive to the house Allison rented for us. Allison is already there. We drive ourselves.”

No one confirmed with Nicky, but he didn’t press for a response. They had already packed the night before, and now all that was left was to stop at the liquor store and then drive two hours to the AirBNB Allison rented near the beach.

Nicky didn’t include the friend Andrew was supposedly bringing because he didn’t know when the friend was supposed to fit into the plans, or if they were still going, as Andrew hadn’t brought them up again. The Foxes had all but convinced themselves that Andrew had forgotten about his friend by the time they pulled away from the Columbia house with only four people in the car.

They went to the liquor store and then they drove to the beach house, and there was still no word from Andrew—not that they asked for one. The closer to the beach they got, the more excited and chatty Nicky became; even Kevin and Aaron grew restless until they pulled up beside Matt’s truck. Andrew didn’t say a word as they grabbed their bags, unloaded in the kitchen, and investigated the house. The only reminder that Andrew probably maybe might have someone joining him was when they were picking their rooms and Andrew promptly closed the door behind him before anyone could walk in with him.

“Good thing there’s so many rooms here!” Nicky called through the door. Kevin didn’t seem bothered by Andrew’s decision to take a room by himself (they didn’t even see how many beds were in there before he closed the door and locked it), but Aaron had a considering frown on his face. Nicky decided not to dwell on Andrew’s snub.

Not like it wasn’t any different than usual.

*

After everyone was settled, they went to the beach. Even Andrew, in his tight pants and black armbands and heavy boots, ventured down, walking beside Renee as she regaled him with her summer adventures with her adoptive mother.

_I just don’t get it,_ Nicky thought, trying not to watch them as they strolled, separating from the group and moving toward a piece of driftwood. If Andrew was together with Renee, where had he been all summer while she was gone? And if he _wasn’t,_ where the hell _had_ he been all summer?

Soon, however, Nicky became distracted with the novelty of a good time with the Foxes, surrounded by good weather and soft sand, and so he stopped trying to not watch Andrew and instead ran to the shoreline and right into the water, socks and all.

No one noticed when, ten minutes later, Andrew left the beach.

*

An hour later and everyone was still meandering around the house, waiting for an acceptable time to eat lunch. Nicky had stayed outside with Allison and Renee, sunbathing, while Kevin and Aaron lounged on a balcony and Matt, Dan, and Seth played a card game in one of the big game rooms of the three-story house.

Nicky was asking the girls about their class schedules for the upcoming semester when Matt jogged up to them, kicking a bit of sand at them on his hasty stop. He seemed nervous.

“Um,” he said, and Nicky took off his sunglasses to see him better but remained lying down. “So. Andrew’s friend is here.”

Allison sat up, followed by Renee and Nicky. “Seriously?” she asked, intrigued. “Who is it?”

“Um,” Matt said again, and he rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t really know how to describe him, but his name is Neil?”

A _boy_? Nicky scrambled up, any reservations he had about Andrew’s possible murder friend or alt girlfriend disappearing as excitement crept in. Andrew brought a friend? Like, an actual person who wasn’t a part of the Foxes? Where had they met? What was he like? Nicky ran to the house, not bothering to brush off the sand.

He found his cousin sitting at the breakfast nook in the kitchen beside a stranger. Their backs were to Nicky, but they both turned at his entrance, though he stuttered to a stop when the stranger’s gaze met his.

“Oh, whoa,” Nicky exhaled, though he knew it was rude and he hadn’t meant to say anything. But Andrew’s friend, even with the dark red hair and pretty blue eyes, was unable to hide behind a cute face the horrific scars on both his cheeks, one a burn under his eye and the other a collection of slashes. They didn’t have the fadings of an old scar yet, but the wounds were healed enough that they couldn’t be mistaken for recent.

Then Neil stood up to introduce himself, and that’s when Nicky noticed his neck.

*

Matt stood with Allison and Renee just inside the doorway to watch Nicky meet his cousin’s friend.

Allison got one look at Neil in all his scarred glory and smacked Matt hard in the shoulder.

“Ow!” he yelped in a whisper.

Allison copied his tone, not wanting to draw attention from Neil just yet. “What the fuck, Matt.”

“How can you be mad at me right now? I met him five minutes ago!”

“Yeah, but you met him before us and you didn’t think to mention that someone fucking tried to slit his throat?”

“Oh, sorry I didn’t have a chance to warn you in the two seconds I said ‘Andrew’s friend is here’ and Nicky ran inside.”

Allison waved him off, and they three went back to watching Neil introduce himself to Nicky.

*

Neil didn’t know what to expect from Andrew’s family, but this wasn’t it. The man who stood in front of them now was taller and darker and friendlier than Andrew, and Neil snuck a glance at the pale, short, taciturn blonde sitting beside him before returning his attention back on the newcomer.

“Hi, I’m Nicky,” the man introduced himself nervously, reaching for Neil’s hand before Neil could be self-conscious about it—Nicky had already reacted vocally to the scars on his face; how would he handle the ones on his hands?

Suppressing a sigh, Neil shook Nicky’s offered hand and ignored the wide eyes and the flinch when Nicky pulled away. “So,” Nicky continued, trying to recover. “You’re Neil?”

“Yes.” Neil sat down beside Andrew again but faced outward so he could continue to talk to Nicky. Neil knew there were a few others just on the other side of the door—they weren’t quiet—but he didn’t really care who listened in.

“Wow, we weren’t sure if you were going to make it.”

Neil nodded. Nicky nodded. Nicky had a hard time looking away from Neil’s neck. Neil became uncomfortable. He shifted, just barely, to reach a hand up and cover himself until he realized that would make everything more obvious and awkward than it already was. He cleared his throat.

Andrew finally turned and looked at Nicky.

*

All these months that Andrew had been so “calm” and “blank” and Nicky had almost forgotten how scary his cousin could be.

Nicky saw Andrew’s warning look (or was it? it was hard to tell but his hands were out of sight and Nicky just assumed) and snapped his gaze away from Neil’s throat.

“Um! Well, we’re happy you’re here, Neil.”

“Thanks.”

That was when Kevin and Aaron came in.

“Jesus,” Aaron hissed when he caught sight of Neil. Kevin flinched at the doorway but offered no greeting. Allison, Renee, and Matt stopped lurking by the door. Dan and Seth emerged from wherever they had been hiding. Everyone stood in the kitchen and stared at Neil. Andrew stared at nothing.

Neil looked down at his hands for a second before looking around at each of the Foxes. “Um,” he said. “Hi.”

Someone’s stomach growled.

*

The tense silence broken, Allison suggested walking until they found somewhere to eat. 

They left the house in groups of two or three: Matt and Dan; Allison, Renee, and Seth; Kevin, Aaron, and Nicky; with Andrew and Neil at the end of the pack. Nicky tried to eavesdrop on the conversations in front of him and behind him, but Andrew and Neil weren’t saying anything, and Matt and Dan were too far ahead for Nicky to hear more than a few mentions of “scars” and “does he go to Palmetto?” and “what the fuck?”

At one point Neil said something to Andrew, so low that Nicky didn’t catch it, but Nicky did turn around at the sound of Neil’s voice and saw the pair looking at each other, but the turn of Neil’s head stretched the ghastly scar on his neck, showing the crosshatching marks from a stitch that couldn’t quite heal right on such sensitive skin, and Nicky found he had a hard time turning away from it.

Andrew, seeming to notice Nicky’s attention, turned to him and glared. Nicky faced forward again, thought for one moment, and then lagged behind so he could stand beside Neil as they walked.

“So, Neil!” he said. “Tell me about yourself.”

The groups quieted in front of them.

*

Neil internally sighed. He knew this would be how the week went as soon as Andrew told him he had to go. Neil didn’t mind being here—he wanted to meet Andrew’s team and family, wanted to know that Andrew wasn’t as alone as he tried to be—but their preoccupation with his scars was uncomfortable, and though Neil didn’t want to lie around Andrew anymore, he didn’t know these people and didn’t owe them everything.

But Nicky was smiling at him, and Andrew was on his other side, a warm and solid presence, and if Nicky was Andrew’s family, well, then. Fine. “What did you want to know?” he asked, trying not to sound hesitant.

Nicky waved his hand flippantly. “Anything! Where are you from?”

“Baltimore.”

“Oh, cool! And what brought you here to South Carolina?”

“Andrew.”

Nicky laughed like Neil made a joke. “No, I mean, not like _here_ on this vacation. I meant, are you going to school or something?”

“I’m going to start at PSU in a week.”

“Oh, nice! What are you studying?”

Neil shrugged. He hadn’t decided yet. He’d only been able to afford the schooling because Andrew had suggested a one-on-one meeting with the track team’s coach. Neil agreed because he had nothing else to do, and after meeting the coach and proving his worth, Neil was granted a sports scholarship, though he’d have no housing on campus and he had to pay for his own books.

“Well, that’s fine! You’ve got four years to figure it out, right?”

The reminder that Neil had more time than he ever thought he’d get was a painful yet welcome reminder, one that caused phantom pains on his throat but a pleasant tingle in his chest. Neil stole a look to Andrew before offering a small smile to Nicky. “Right.”

Nicky seemed emboldened by Neil’s response, as if one smile made them friends. “And how did you meet Andrew?” he asked, and Neil noticed how the rest of the Foxes slowed to hear the response.

“At Easthaven,” he replied, and he couldn’t even find it in himself to be surprised that Andrew hadn’t mentioned him to anyone, not with the way they had been reacting around Neil all day, but to see Aaron stumble at Neil’s admission, and to hear Seth hiss out a curse, Neil thought maybe he ought to talk to Andrew a little bit about the situation.

“Oh!” Nicky chirped, and he looked at Neil’s throat scar again. “Well.” There was an awkward pause. “I’m glad you found each other in there, then. It’s not an easy place to, um. Build relationships like that. You know,” Nicky rushed to explain at Neil’s confused expression. “The ones that last outside of the hospital.”

Neil didn’t know because he had never been to a mental hospital and didn’t want to be there in the first place, but Andrew had been the only thing that mattered in there and the only thing that mattered outside of it, so he nodded at Nicky and didn’t offer any more about their time there, and Nicky stopped asking questions.

Allison finally stopped them at a restaurant.

*

Everyone watched while Neil poured syrup on Andrew’s French toast. There was clearly nowhere to place the syrup down on a table that sat ten student athletes who hadn’t had a proper meal for a few hours, but it was still disconcerting to watch as, in complete silence, Neil reached to hand Andrew the syrup, notice there was no casual way for Andrew to grab it without elbows hitting faces, so Neil, unprompted, poured the thick liquid over Andrew’s food before passing the syrup back the way it came.

Allison choked on her orange juice. Matt slapped her back. Andrew cut a bite out of his French toast and ate it. Neil nibbled on some bacon.

Aaron glared at his plate.

Nicky didn’t know whether to beam at his cousin or look at Renee. He smiled down at his food instead until Aaron grumbled about the creepy look on his face, and Nicky started up a conversation with Kevin just so he’d have something to distract him from the very strong urge to ask Neil about Andrew.

*

After lunch, a few of the Foxes disappeared to shop around the pier. Surprisingly, Neil and Andrew went with the shoppers.

Nicky, Aaron, and Seth returned to the house to nap after their feast. Well, Aaron and Seth returned to nap. Nicky wanted to catch his other cousin alone so they could talk about what was going on with Andrew.

“Seriously,” Nicky started, as if he was in the middle of this conversation instead of just starting it. Seth disappeared to his room and Aaron collapsed on one of the couches on the third floor, as if a flight of stairs would deter Nicky from finding him. Nicky sat on the other side of couch from him, near his feet. “Who is this Neil?”

“I literally don’t care,” Aaron replied, closing his eyes, but his tone was a tight as his shoulders, and Nicky suspected that Aaron was big fat fucking liar.

“You don’t _care_ that Andrew comes home with a boy from a _mental hospital_ who is _covered_ in scars? I think they spend all their time together, Aaron. I think Andrew leaves us for him.”

“I don’t care,” Aaron said again, and Nicky huffed, crossing his arms.

“I just don’t get it! He’s so cute, did you notice that? Did you see that if he didn’t have those marks on his face he’d be devastating?”

“No.”

“How is it that Andrew picked up such a catch?”

“Stop.”

Nicky hummed. “Or maybe they are just friends, because I think I would know if my cousin was gay.”

“Nicky, shut up.”

“Aaron, this is serious. I need to know what they are to each other.”

“Why? So that way if they’re just friends, you can hit on Neil?”

“No, so that way I’ll know if I’ll be murdered when I hit on Neil. Because I’m going to be hitting on Neil.”

Aaron shoved a foot in Nicky’s face, and Nicky batted him away. “Get out,” Aaron grumbled, “I’m trying to sleep.”

“Aaron, tell me your thoughts.”

“My thoughts are fuck you, I’m trying to sleep.”

Nicky sighed. “This is going to be a long week.”

Aaron, surprisingly, agreed.

*

Neil followed Andrew to their room to drop off their purchases.

“I don’t know why you made me buy this,” Neil said, pulling out the outfit Andrew picked out for him while they were out shopping: black jeans; a gray, V-neck t-shirt; and Vans with vintage flowers. “Why would I wear these?” he asked rhetorically, holding up the shoes. “They are probably the most uncomfortable shoes I’ve ever owned and I was on the run for ten years.”

Andrew ignored him, pulling out his own new purchase of shin high socks with sparkly corndogs on them and another pair with multicolor seahorses. He sat at the edge of the bed to put on the corndogs while Neil held up the shirt to his chest, frowning down at it. “They’ll probably see my scars through this,” he mused, stroking the thin fabric.

Andrew said, “Stop hiding.”

“I’m not.”

Andrew rolled his pants over his socks and looked up at Neil, who promptly dropped his shirt on the ground and moved to stand between Andrew’s legs. Andrew braced his hands on Neil’s thighs and squeezed before just resting them there. Neil kept his hands to himself.

“You should put them on now,” Andrew said.

Neil smiled. “I thought Allison said I have to wash new clothes before I wear them?”

Andrew hummed, and then leaned forward and dropped a lingering kiss on Neil’s stomach through his shirt. When Andrew didn’t move his face away after the kiss, Neil finally gave in and placed one tentative hand on Andrew’s head and began combing his fingers through his hair. Andrew closed his eyes.

“Renee seems nice,” Neil said.

“Hm.”

“A little _too_ nice.”

“She isn’t.”

Neil huffed a small laugh. “Sure. Matt seems friendly.”

“Hm.”

“Nicky does his best.”

Andrew stayed quiet, and eventually Neil dropped his hand and took a step back. “C’mon. Let’s see how many more awkward conversations I can be a part of. How long do you think before they ask about my neck?” Neil joked, but Andrew immediately tensed before pushing Neil even farther away from him.

Andrew hadn’t reacted well to the wound the first time he saw it, but Neil assumed enough time had passed for him to be okay with it by now. Judging by the impassive look on Andrew’s face, Neil assumed wrong.

“C’mon, Andrew,” Neil said again, a little softer this time. “Let’s go.”

And so they went.

*

The Foxes made Neil play board games. After Andrew and Neil rejoined everyone in the downstairs main room, they were commandeered into helping pick out a board game. As soon as Matt discovered that Neil wasn’t familiar with 95% of board games in general, suddenly the rest of the night turned into “make Neil play as many games as possible because his life is so sad.”

“I’ve played chess before. Andrew and I played that a lot at Easthaven,” Neil said, a little defensively as he watched Matt pull out a game with an inordinate amount of cards, just cards, only cards, though the box was so big and it didn’t really look like a card game.

Nicky, grimacing at the game Matt was setting up, looked to Neil and said, “I hardly consider _chess_ an ample introduction to the world of board games.”

“Yeah, but we’re gonna go full ham on the dude and make his first game be _Dominion_?” Dan chimed in, also watching Matt set up with a grimace on her face.

“Hey!” Matt said, not pausing in the setup of the game, though the majority of the Foxes groaned as soon as he pulled the box out. “If he likes chess, he’ll like this!”

Neil wasn’t so sure, but two hours later, he had a basic understanding of the game and thought maybe he could enjoy it more if less people played, but no one wanted to play again and banned Matt from picking games for the rest of the night.

“Let’s do _Code Names_ ,” Allison announced, procuring the box and slamming it on the table on top of the Dominion cards that Matt was hastily trying to organize.

More Foxes joined in for _Code Names_ , and Neil found it interesting that Andrew, though a quiet participant in _Dominion,_ seemed vaguely interested in this one. Neil wondered if he’d played this game before.

They split up into teams: Blue was Seth, Allison, Matt, Dan, and Renee. Red was Aaron, Nicky, Kevin, Andrew, and Neil. The Code Masters were Kevin and Dan.

Neil hadn’t anticipated this game to turn so violent so quickly, but interestingly enough, after the batch of clues, fights broke out immediately.

“Nicky, literally, it’s cheating to follow their line of sight to the cards.”

“Okay, well, tell that to Kevin who is practically _begging_ me to pick the cards he’s looking at.”

“How can you be so stupid? What part of ‘green’ makes you think _New York_?”

“Remember when we went to the park in New York?”

“Oh my god, I want a new teammate.”

“It’s not our fault you can’t read minds.”

“Andrew just taps cards without consulting us; he shouldn’t be the deciding vote.”

“But the rules _say_ as soon as a card is tapped it’s a guess!”

“Oh my god, Allison, do you want to lose? Don’t help the other team!”

“Well, it’s not _my_ fault Kevin said ‘gold’ and they’re not fucking guessing _mine_.”

“Forgive me for thinking of the other definition of the word _mine._ ”

“Yeah, and forgive _me_ for thinking you had any semblance of intelligence!”

The next round (after Aaron guessed the assassin), they made Andrew and Renee be Code Masters. More fights ensued.

“Okay, seriously? Are you fucking kidding me? All Andrew said was ‘three: doves’ and Neil was able to guess goddamn all of the cards? And they don’t even relate to doves?”

“Renee, sweetie, what did you mean by ‘Ted’? Like, who the fuck is Ted, oh my god.”

“ _Neil, seriously, are you guys cheating?_ Andrew didn’t even say a clue; he just said ‘two’ and you guessed them?”

“They’re not cheating.”

“Andrew, close your eyes so he doesn’t follow your gaze.”

“Seth, stop being so bitter.”

“I just don’t fucking get it? It’s literally impossible? And, fuck, Renee? Seriously? What do your clues even _mean_.”

After a Red win, the Foxes made Neil switch teams with Renee and be Code Master for Blue. Aaron was Code Master for Red.

“Andrew, fucking _stop._ I know what you’re doing.”

“What is he doing?”

“He’s not even listening to the clues for Red. He’s just waiting until our turn and guessing Neil’s hints for Blue.”

“Ohhhhhh my god. Oh my god. I’m done. I’m done playing this game forever.”

After another hasty cleanup of a failed board game, Renee went to order pizza while Matt pulled out another game. “Now _this_ one no one fights at.” With a flourish, Matt presented the game to Neil: _Betrayal at House on the Hill._ There weren’t enough pieces for ten people to play, so Aaron, Nicky, Allison, and Seth sat this game out, going upstairs to occupy their time. Matt explained the premise while they waited for the pizza, and then as soon as everyone had eaten and alcohol had been procured, they began the final game of the night.

Surprisingly (since Neil had only seen the Foxes fight up to this point), no one fought playing this game. Andrew didn’t read his cards aloud, so Neil did it for him whenever Matt or Dan gave a confused look as to why suddenly Andrew was in a different room on a different floor. Kevin had a lot to say about strategy that no one listened to, and Neil was just trying to figure out what he was supposed to do.

Just as Neil was getting the hang of this one, suddenly a card was drawn and six dice were rolled and then Matt, Dan, and Renee were howling about a “haunt,” and then books were consulted and Renee was announced as a “traitor,” and then it was like Neil was playing a whole new board game and he was losing, and then he was dead.

“So I’m out?” he asked. Matt nodded, distracted. Neil watched the rest of the game in silence beside Andrew, who put up a fair fight but perished in the end, and by then it was midnight and Neil was ready to sleep. Kevin was trying to get everyone to play another round, and though Matt and Dan agreed, Neil stood up to leave. “I think I’m going to bed. Thanks for showing me all these games, Matt.”

Matt seemed delighted to have been of service. “Sure, man, it was fun! See you tomorrow.”

Neil waved to everyone and then moved upstairs. Andrew stayed behind with the others, despite not having agreed to another game. 

Neil went to shower in their en suite bathroom, and by the time he turned off the water and opened the shower curtain, Andrew was sitting on the counter beside the sink waiting for him. Neil stepped out of the tub without grabbing a towel first, so water pooled instantly at his feet and all over the floor. Andrew stared at him while he dried off before wrapping the towel around his waist. He had originally planned on grabbing comfortable clothes out of his bag after his shower, which he had left in the room, but instead of going straight there, he moved to stand in between Andrew’s legs.

“Today was fun,” Neil said. Andrew brought up a hand and started tracing the scars on Neil’s abdomen. They both watched his hand for a minute before Neil went on. “I wonder what they’ll make us do tomorrow?”

“Aquarium,” Andrew answered. His stopped tracing the scars and spread his fingers so his entire palm rested on Neil’s stomach. His hand was warm.

Neil leaned forward and started dropping slow kisses on Andrew’s neck. Andrew allowed this without protest until Neil, emboldened by the palm still resting on his skin, bit down gently. Andrew shoved him away with a glare, and Neil, unrepentant, grinned. “Cool. I like fish,” Neil said, and Andrew hopped off the counter to push Neil out of the bathroom and toward the bed. As soon as his back hit the mattress, his towel was on the floor and Andrew was settling on top of him, pinning Neil’s arms to the bed and bending to kiss his way down his chest.

“No one asked you,” Andrew murmured into his ribs. 

Neil laughed.

*

The Foxes began to observe Andrew and Neil anytime they were together, which was almost always.

Allison noted that they didn’t seem dependent on each other—sometimes one of the Foxes would come across Neil sitting by himself or conversing alone with one of the other Foxes, and he didn’t seem uncomfortable or burdened by the fact he was socializing with people who knew a lot about each other and nothing about him.

Seth refused to acknowledge another freak added to the Monsters, so he didn’t bother with them unless they bothered him. 

Matt found it strange that Andrew was participating in activities that he normally couldn’t be bothered with. He had always assumed that Andrew would say no to anything they’d suggest, during school or otherwise, so they had never bothered. But here he was, agreeing to shopping or playing board games or doing bad touristy things along the beach, and Matt was wondering why he’d never seen this side of Andrew before, if it was always there, if it was only there now because of Neil.

Dan wondered how someone so obviously scarred from a knife could hang around with a man who carried the weapon literally up his sleeves. She didn’t understand how Neil wasn’t afraid of Andrew.

Nicky spent most of his time observing them happily because Andrew had a new friend, someone in his life that was obviously doing something right, and he didn’t care about much else besides that.

Kevin wondered how Andrew had found someone so plainly passionate about running when Andrew didn’t care about anything at all—and how could Andrew convince Neil to try track without even _suggesting_ that he could probably be good at exy? Kevin thought it was a waste.

Aaron didn’t want to look at them or think about them.

Renee smiled whenever she saw them together. Andrew hadn’t told her about Neil, and she wasn’t offended, didn’t have time to be upset, not when she had nothing to grieve and everything to celebrate. 

But most of the Foxes just couldn’t understand who Neil was to Andrew. Andrew seemed to pay as much mind to Neil as he did to the rest of his people (which was, namely, not a lot), except for that he didn’t leave Neil’s side when they were in the same room together.

At the end of the fourth day, after a long day of paragliding off a cliff (Andrew abstaining), Neil and Andrew disappeared to their room and Allison said bluntly, “I think they’re fucking.”

“What?” Aaron said.

Seth grimaced. “Ew.”

“Impossible.” Nicky refused to believe that he didn’t know his cousin was gay. 

“I think they are together,” Renee admitted softly.

“Should we bet?” Matt suggested, eager. “We’ve got three more days to find out for sure.”

“This is stupid,” Aaron said, and then stood up to leave.

Nicky stared after his cousin for a minute, conflicted, before looking back at Matt. He grinned. “I’m in.”

*

Neil started to notice how the rest of the Foxes saw Andrew. He didn’t say anything to Andrew because he knew Andrew didn’t care, but after five days of witnessing it himself, Neil found that _he_ cared. He noticed that most of them talked around Andrew and not to him. He noticed how they explained away Andrew’s “manic” behavior as terrifying but didn’t discuss the cause of it, such as the reason why Andrew had to be in Easthaven at all. Didn’t they have anything to say about _why_ Andrew was in that fight that caused him to be medicated?

Did everyone just forget that Andrew only agreed to join the team if Aaron and Nicky could join, too?

They teased Aaron for his crush on a cheerleader but didn’t want to draw Andrew’s attention as to why he didn’t like her.

They talked about the resolved deal between Kevin and Andrew but didn’t ask why Andrew had accepted it in the first place, or why he took his deals so seriously.

“Do these people not know you at all?” Neil asked as they walked the beach at the end of the fifth night. It was one in the morning and Neil couldn’t sleep, so Andrew dragged him out of bed and they walked along the shore, Andrew smoking and Neil breathing him in.

Andrew took a drag and side-eyed Neil for a second. He blew out the smoke in his direction, and Neil batted it away. “I’ve been here five days and they know more about me than they do about you,” Neil said. 

“Sounds like your problem.”

Neil stole the cigarette from Andrew’s fingers. He didn’t know what to say to make Andrew care because he knew there was nothing that could make Andrew care about this. Neil held the cigarette at his side as they continued to walk in silence, until Neil’s frustration dissipated. He said, somewhat hollow, “I’ve only known you for five months.” He dropped the smoldering cigarette in the ocean, the scent of smoke and sand and salt finally too much, and he stopped and looked at Andrew so he wouldn’t have to think about his mother.

Andrew returned Neil’s gaze. “Sounds like your problem,” he said again, and Neil, still feeling a little raw from it all, said resolutely, “Yes. You are.”

*

On the sixth day, Nicky and Allison stumbled upon Neil asleep on Andrew’s shoulder. Andrew was sitting still on the couch, staring at a TV that wasn’t on, and Neil was slouched on his side, head nestled in the space between his shoulder and neck, snoring softly. Nicky and Allison got one look at the pair, eyes widening, and promptly left the room.

“Um,” Nicky said, as soon as they were at least two rooms away. “I don’t know what I just walked in on.” He kind of wished he had taken a picture.

Allison looked smug. “You just walked in on me winning five hundred bucks.”

“That looked a little more serious than just hate fucking, Allison.”

“Oh, did it? I’m sorry, I didn’t notice over all the money I’m winning.”

Nicky rolled his eyes and went to find Aaron, hoping he could be the first one to warn him about what was happening on the couch.

But he was not.

*

“What the fuck, Andrew?”

Neil jolted awake at the shout. He hadn’t realized he fell asleep, and he definitely didn’t remember falling asleep on Andrew, but before he could apologize, he finally clued in to his surroundings and realized that it was Aaron who had shouted and he was glaring at Neil. Neil stared back.

Andrew raised a brow at his brother. “What?”

“Who the fuck is this guy?”

“Neil.”

“And what the fuck is he _doing_ here, Andrew? Why did you bring him here?” When neither Andrew nor Neil said anything, Aaron clenched his fists, as if repressing the urge to hit something.

“Is Neil bothering you?” Andrew asked blandly. By this point, all the Foxes had congregated in the room with them, drawn by the shouting.

“Yes, he’s fucking bothering me. What the fuck, Andrew? He looks like someone tried to slit his goddamn throat.”

“Someone did slit my goddamn throat.”

Aaron flinched but continued questioning Andrew as if Neil hadn’t spoken. Neil stole a glance at the other Foxes and noticed their suddenly sick expressions at his admission that, yes, someone had done that to him.

“And you met him at Easthaven? As if we need more fucked up people here.”

“Aaron—” Nicky started, but Neil cut him off.

“So what’s the problem?” he asked, moving to stand up so Aaron couldn’t look down on him anymore.

“My _problem_ is that Andrew gets to bring you on this stupid fucking trip—”

“While you had to leave Katelyn at home?” Neil guessed, his tone snide.

Aaron’s fury rose at the mention of her name. “Don’t fucking talk about her as if you know her. You don’t know _any_ of us, and I literally cannot understand why you are here at all.”

“I was invited.”

“God, what the fuck is wrong with you?”

“I’m sorry you haven’t worked through your issues with Andrew, but you don’t get to take them out on me.”

“You don’t know _anything_ about me, or Andrew, or any of us.”

“I know enough.”

“Oh, what, after a week? After my brother let you in his fucking bed?”

Andrew stood up, as if to stop something from happening, but Neil wasn’t going to do anything. Neil folded his arms and looked at Aaron, unimpressed. “I don’t have to explain myself to you. I came here because I wanted to meet Andrew’s family and his team.”

“And now you’ve done that, so get the fuck out.”

“No.”

“No?”

“No,” Neil said again, but he did start walking toward the Foxes, as if to leave the room. He ushered them out along with him, leaving the twins alone. Maybe Andrew would do something about Aaron today. Maybe he wouldn’t.

Either way, Neil wasn’t leaving.

Neil walked with everyone outside. They stood outside on the side porch, half trying to eavesdrop on the brothers and the other half trying not to look at Neil, who had his arms crossed and was fidgeting agitatedly.

“So, um…” Matt hedged, because he couldn’t stand the silence.

“My father,” Neil snapped, not looking at anyone.

“Oh, right. Yeah. Your father.” Matt backed away from Neil and stood next to Dan and Renee. So they would all just wait for the twins to be done, and they would all stay away from Neil, who had his throat slit by his father, while they did.

*

It was after midnight when Andrew finally returned to Neil. Neil had eventually left the property to walk around town for a while away from everyone in order to calm down, and by the time he had returned, Andrew and Aaron weren’t at the house anymore and everyone else was downstairs watching a movie. Renee was in the kitchen when he returned, and she entreated him with a soft voice to join them, but Neil refused. He went up to his room and sat on the bed, thinking about nothing for a while, and then he flopped on his back, his feet still on the ground, as he waited for Andrew to come back.

Eventually, he did, and he came back smelling like whiskey and cigarette smoke. Neil didn’t sit up at his entrance, and after a short pause, Andrew moved to copy Neil’s position, feet on the ground and back on the mattress.

They laid in silence for a very long time.

“What’s on the agenda for tomorrow?” Neil asked eventually.

“Going home.”

Neil huffed, smiling. “I don’t think they like me very much.”

“They don’t have to.”

“No, I suppose not.”

Neil reached a hand out blindly toward Andrew and didn’t stop until he felt his hand. He linked their pinkies together, squeezing once.

“I guess we’ve got a while to figure everything out, huh?” Neil said.

Andrew squeezed back, just once. “I guess we do.” 

**Author's Note:**

> this is pretty much a sequel to a fic i feel like writing where neil decides to hide from his father by checking himself into a mental hospital (because, according to TV, these facilities are on lockdown for people who want in or out) so maybe i’ll write that one day or maybe i won’t


End file.
